English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Abbreviate people's titles
Abbreviate people's titles
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify a title used before a person's name.
Define the term 'abbreviation' as a short way to write a word.
Recognize and write the correct abbreviations for Mister, Missis, Miss, and Doctor.
Correctly capitalize a title abbreviation.
Use a period at the end of a title abbreviation.
Use abbreviated titles correctly in sentences.
Have you ever seen a name written like 'Dr. Seuss' and wondered what the 'Dr.' part means? 🤔 Let's find out!
Today, we are going to learn about special short words called abbreviations that we use for people's titles. Learning these writing shortcuts will help make your writing faster and look more professional, just like in the books you read!
Real-World Applications
Addressing...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
TitleA special word we use before a person's name to be polite or to show their job.In 'Mister Rogers', the word 'Mister' is the title.
AbbreviationA short and quick way to write a longer word.The abbreviation for 'Doctor' is 'Dr.'
PeriodThe small dot (.) that you must put at the end of most title abbreviations.We write 'Mr.' with a period at the end.
Capital LetterThe big letter at the beginning of a word. Titles and their abbreviations always start with one.The 'M' in 'Mrs.' is a capital letter.
Mister (Mr.)A title used for any man.Mr. Smith is our mail carrier.
Missis (Mrs.)A title used for a married woman.Mrs. Davis is my friend's mom.
Ms.A title used for any woman, whether she is mar...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Capital Letter Rule
Always start a title abbreviation with a capital letter.
Just like you capitalize the first letter of a person's name, you must also capitalize the first letter of their title's abbreviation. For example, use 'Dr.' not 'dr.'.
The Period Rule
Always end a title abbreviation with a period.
The period shows the reader that the word is a shortened form of a longer word. For example, use 'Mrs.' not 'Mrs'.
The Placement Rule
The abbreviated title always goes right before the person's last name.
You place the title first to be polite. For example, we write 'Mr. Brown', not 'Brown Mr.'.
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Challenging
A student starts an email: 'Dear ms. Albright'. What two things must be fixed to make the title correct?
A.Capitalize the 'M' and add a period.
B.Change 'ms.' to 'mrs.' and add a period.
C.Capitalize the 'M' and remove the space.
D.Change 'ms.' to 'miss' and capitalize it.
Challenging
Read the list: 1. Mr. Jones 2. Mrs Adams 3. dr. Bell 4. Ms. Chen. Which TWO titles are abbreviated incorrectly?
A.1 and 4
B.2 and 3
C.1 and 3
D.2 and 4
Challenging
What is the main reason writers use title abbreviations like 'Mr.' and 'Dr.'?
A.To make the writing look more difficult.
B.Because the full words are secret.
C.It is a standard and efficient way to write formal titles.
D.To make the names sound more important.
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